Means for sealing a bottle or the like



M. R. FIELDS MEANS FOR SEALING A BOTTLE OR THE LIKE Filed April 4. 1955v MACK Q. FIELDS Jig. 6

United States Patent MEANS FOR SEALING A BOTTLE OR THE LIKE Mack R.Fields, Libertyville, 111.

Application April 4, 1955, Serial No. 499,032

8 Claims. (Cl. 215-43) This invention relates to bottle closures and totamperresistant seals applied around bottle necks and their closures,particularly when used with screw caps.

A commonly used screw cap is a single shell type drawn to the requireddepth and having a rolled thread impressed in the side thereof, a rolledbeaded flange at the open end of the cap, and a knurled surface at theupper periphery to provide a finger-gripping portion. A single shellmetal screw cap is an economical closure and is adaptable to rapidautomatic application to bottle tops by automatic machinery and isadaptable to the application of shrinktype seals or labels. Because ofthe irregular surface of the aforementioned single shell bottle capcreated by the threading and the beaded flange thereon, the cap is notreceptive to inflexible paper seals which may be secured around the cap.

Accordingly, it is one of the objects of the present invention toprovide an inexpensive bottle closure, preferably one utilizing asingle-walled metal cap having threading impressed in the skirt thereof,which is provided with a collar to form a smooth outer surface to whichinflexible sealing strips, labels, and the like may be securely adhered.Another object of the invention is to provide a bottle closure whichutilizes a single-walled metal threaded cap which includes means forbuilding up the diameter of the cap to approximately the outer diameterof the beaded flange of the cap so as to provide a smooth,

attractive cylindrical surface resembling more expensive,

therefrom by application of a twisting torque applied to the cap throughthe collar.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a single-. walledthreaded metal bottle cap is surrounded by a multi ply spirally woundcardboard collar which is press fitted thereover to cover the impressedthreading thereon. The

direction in which the collar is spirally wound corresponds with thedirection of the helical threading on the bottle cap, so thatapplication of a twisting torque to the collar tending to unthread thebottle cap will cause the collar.

to tighten about the metal. The inner plies of the collar are of a softchipboard and an outer ply of the collar is of a relatively rigid orhard chipboard which maintains its shape under the forces resulting frompress fitting the inner plies over the cap. The collar has an outerdiameter equal to the diameter of the cap at the curled flange at thelower extremity of the cap. The closure is applied to a bottle having athreaded neck at the top thereof for receiving the cap and a subjacentneck portion of a larger diameter the same as that of the collar so thatthere is created an even cylindrical surface from the top ofthe iceclosure down along the neck of the bottle. A sealing strip may then bereadily secured across the closure and the subjacent bottle neck. Wherethe sealing strip is of paper, it may be coated with any well known,quick-setting, water insoluble, resin-type adhesive which adheres wellto paper and glass. Therefore, the sealing strip may not be removed bymerely soaking ofi the sealing strip, as can be done with theshrink-type seals heretofore used.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a bottle closurewhich includes a sealing strip bonding the bottle closure and the bottleneck, and wherein the portion of the sealing strip secured to theclosure may be torn from the portion of the sealing strip secured to thebottle neck by unscrewing the cap from the bottle neck.

In accordance with the invention, the sealing strip is perforated orweakened to provide a line of tear where it is desired that the stripshould tear during unscrewing of the cap. The paper sealing strip isreinforced by a facing or outer layer of clear plastic acetate material.This prevents fracturing of the paper sealing strip under normalhandling conditions along the weakened perforated portion of the strip.The plastic outer layer further provides a scuff-proof surface toprotect any printed surface on the paper from shop wear and fingersoiling.

The sealing strip has a base layer which is overlaid with a layer of acolor which contrasts substantially with the color of the base layer.When the closure is unthreaded from the bottle, thesealing strip willtear in an irregular manner at the line of perforation, the outermostcolored layer pulling away from the subjacent layer of the strip inplaces, forming deformed rough edges. The contrasting colors at the tornedges give a sharp visible indication that the bottle has been opened.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a sealingstrip which may not readily be removed from the bottle without sodamaging the sealing strip as to indicate that the strip has beentampered with.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a bottle closurefor a liquor bottle or the like which includes a sealing strip which hasas a part thereof a Federal revenue stamp, and which is so applied tothe bottle that it is diflicult if not impossible to remove the revenuestrip or stamp from the bottle without destroying the stamp. Anotherobject of this invention is to provide a sealing strip for a liquorbottle closure which includes a revenue stamp which is applied to thebottle in a manner which materially reduces the cost of applying revenuestamps thereto. In accordance with this invention, the aforementionedoutermost visible layer of the laminate sealing strip which includes therevenue stamps is wound around the top of the bottle to enable the useof conventional, label-applying machinery which materially reduces thecost of applying revenue stamps to liquor bottles. Ma-' chinery forapplying labels around the necks of bottles are so highly developed thatthere is little likelihood that the machinery will damage the expensiverevenue stamps the drawings showing preferred embodiments of theinvention.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a view, partially in elevation and partially in section, of abottle closure constructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a section through the cardboard collar Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a view, partially in elevation and partially in section,showing the bottle closure of Fig. 1 applied to the neck of a bottle,and which also'includes atamp'er-re sistant sealing strip which securesthe bottle closure to the bottle neck;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary section through the sealing strip;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the sealing strip in place ona bottle neck after it has been once removed from a bottle closure;

Fig. 6 is a section through the tampered sealing strip of Fig. 5, takenalong section line 66 thereof;

Fig. 7 shows a bottle with a modified form of sealing strip appliedthereto which forms a Federal revenue stamp; and

Fig. 8 is a section through the revenue stamp of Fig. 7, taken alongsection line 88 thereof.

Reference should now be made to the drawings where like referencenumerals indicate like elements throughout.

Refer now more particularly to Fig. l which shows a bottle closure madein accordance with the present invention. The bottle closure, generallyindicated by the reference numeral 1, includes a single-walled metalbott-le cap 3 of conventional form which has a convex top wall 5, askirt 7 depending from the top wall 5 which skirt has a knurled exteriorportion at 8 and threading impressed therein, and a peripheral beadedflange 11 formed by rolling the bottom of the skirt outward. Thethreading may extend one and one-half times around the cap, and in suchcase an external crimped ridge 9a is formed between the overlappinggrooves 9b and 9c of the threading on the outside of the cap skirt. Thecap skirt has a circular cross section except at 9a where theaforementioned crimping of the metal causes the metal to project beyonda circle coextensive with the half of the skirt where there is only asingle turn of the thread. The walls of the skirt also generally taperslightly outward toward the bottom thereof to provide a locking taper.

A resilient disk 13 is press fitted within the cap to enable the cap tobe tightly held in place on a threaded bottle neck. The cap ispreferably made from a sheet steel blank which is pre-coated on oppositesides with enamel.

Covering the impressed threading 9 in the skirt of the bottle cap is acollar or sleeve 15 which is preferably cut from a cylindrical tube ofmulti-ply, spiral-wound cardboard having relatively soft chipboardinnermost layers 15a, 15b and 15c, an intermediate layer 15d of hardchipboard, and an outer wrap 15e of a hard, smooth-finished cover paper.The inner diameter of the collar before it is applied to the closure capis somewhat less than the minimum outer diameter of the circular portionof the metal cap.

An example of a cylindrical cardboard collar which may be used with ametal cap having a rolled flange of .050 inch is as follows:

(a) Soft chipboard layers 15a, 15b and 15c each .009 inch thick.

(b) Hard chipboard layers 15d, 0.17 inch thick.

(c) Smooth surfaced covering paper .006 inch thick.

(d) Inner diameter of collar is from .010 to .012 inch less than theoutside diameter of metal cap before the threads were rolled thereon.

The cardboard collar is press fitted or forced down over the cap withthe spiral of the collar extending or winding in the same direction asthe threading 7. The softer innermost layers of chipboard 15a, 15b and15c yield compressively to adapt itself to the configuration of themetal cap, including the non-cylindrical portion 9a and the roughenedknurled portion 8. It is important that the inner layers of thecardboard collar extend into the interstices of the knurled portion 8providing a frictional friction lock to aid in maintaining anon-slipping hold between the collar and the cap when a twisting torqueis applied to screw or unscrew the closure.

Since the softer innermost layers or laminae 15a,v

15b, are designed to deform so as to conform to the externalconfigurations of the skirt portion 7 when the collar 15 is press fittedin surrounding relation to the skirt portion, these innermost laminaewill deform into the threading grooves 9b, 9c and around the crimpedridge 9a formed between the threading grooves. The ridge 9aconventionally projects slightly outwardly from the plane of the capskirt portion 7 in which it is formed due to the deformation of themetal of the cap during the thread forming operation. Hence, theinnermost lamina of the collar will be frictionally engaged in grooves9b, 9c and about the ridge 9a to provide a positive locking actionbetween collar 15 and cap skirt 7 insuring that the cap will turn withthe collar in the direction of the applied torque.

The outer wrapping of cover paper 152 provides a surface for readyadhesion with any number of well known quick setting, non-water solubleadhesives which will adhere to both paper and glass. The smooth surfaceof the covering paper prevents the absorption of an excessive amount ofadhesive material. Also, because the spiral of the collar lies in thesame direction as the threading on the metal cap, a twisting torqueapplied to the collar in a direction which tends to unthread the capwill tighten the collar against the walls of the bottle cap.

The outermost and hard chipboard layer 15d retains its cylindrical shapeand provides strength to the collar to prevent buckling thereof when thecollar is press fitted over the cap. Although the hard chipboard layer15d should provide sufiicient rigidity and strength for this purpose, itshould also have a certain degree of flexibility so that the pressure ofa persons finger may be readily transferred through the walls of thecollar to increase the gripping action between the softer innermostlayers of the collar and the cap skirt.

The bottom edge of the collar 15 when applied to the cap abuts the topof the beaded flange 11 so that the beaded flange defines a seat for thebottom edge. The collar 15 extends up to and preferably slightly belowthe top of the cap skirt. The outer diameter of the collar 15 is madeequal with the outer diameter of the beaded flange 11 so that there areno projecting surfaces on the outside of the bottle closure. Thecardboard collar 15 thus converts the irregular contour of a standardsingle-shelled metal cap into an even surface, which surface may be madeflush with the neck of a bottle to which it is to be applied, as will bedescribed hereinafter.

Referring now more particularly to Fig. 3, the closure 1 may be appliedto a glass bottle 17 having a reduced, threaded neck portion 19 whichjoins a wider, smooth surface cylindrical neck portion 21 therebeneath.The bottom of the smooth wall neck portion 21 is provided with aperipheral integrally molded head or projection 22.

The bottle closure 1 is threaded onto the reduced threaded neck portion19' of the bottle and is dimensioned such that the outer diameter of thecollar 15 is equal to the diameter of the smooth-walled portion 21 ofthe bottle neck, so that upon application of the closure to the bottlethe cap appears to be a continuation of the bottle neck. When theclosure is fully threaded onto the bottle neck, the top edge of thebottle compresses the resilient gasket or disk 13 in the top of thebottle closure to hold the closure tightly in place. Also, the closureis dimensioned so thatthe bottom of the metal cap 3 is spaced a smalldistance above the smooth neck portion 21 of the bottle to accommodatethe wide tolerances commonly used in the manufacture of glass bottlesand metal bottle caps.

A sealing strip 23 is wrapped around and adhesively secured to thebottle closure and bottle neck, with the sealing strip extending betweenthe peripheral head 22 on the bottle neck and the top of the cardboardcollar 15 of the bottle closure. The raw edge at the top of the.cardboard collar 15 is preferably colored to conform with the backgroundcolorof the top of the bottle cap. This may be accomplished by providinga collar where the superimposed layers of the collar, including theouter cover paper, may be of a dark color throughout their individualthickness so that the cut edge conforms to the cover of the cap.

As above stated, the adhesive used to adhere the sealing strip to themetal bottle cap and the glass bottle is any one of a number of wellknown, non-water soluble, resin-type adhesives which have quick settingproperties and adhere well to glass and cardboard or paper. The lengthof the wrap-around sealing strip is equal to the circumference of thecardboard collar plus about 4; inch or so for overlap. The sealing stripprevents loosening of the bottle closure due to vibration duringshipment and provides an orna- .mental appearance to the bottle whensuitably decorated and colored. The background of the sealing strip 23is preferably of the same color as the exposed top portion of the bottlecap, so that the entire closure appears to be an integral unit. Thesealing strip is constructed so as to provide numerous other advantagesas will be hereinafter set forth.

In order to achieve, a rapid adhesion or cementing of the laminatesealing strip to the bottle when it is wound about the cylindricalsurfaces of the closure and the bottle neck, it is desirable toincorporate a film of metallic foil in the laminate sealing strip toprovide a sealing strip having a dead-fold or non-spring-backcharacteristic, so that the sealing strip will be held in place on thebottle neck before the adhesive securing the strip to the bottle hascompletely hardened. This increases the speed of processing the bottlesby reducing the amount of time the label applying machinery mustmaintain contact pressure on the newly applied sealing strips to holdthem on the bottles before the adhesive has hardened sufiiciently toprevent the strips from falling ofif of the bottle necks. If the sealingstrip were made only of paper, the resilient property of the paper tospring back to a normal flat state would require that contact pressurebe applied by the label applying machinery for a longer period until theadhesive has practically completely hardened. Incorporating a metallicfoil lamina in the sealing strip counteracts the resiliency of the paperbase layer thereof. In one example, aluminum metal foil was used as theoutermost colored layer 28 of the sealing strip. The paper backing 26was .002 inch thick, the metal foil was .0003 inch thick and the clearacetate facing layer was .0008 inch thick.

To provide for manual removal of a sealed bottle top without the use ofa sharp edged instrument for severing the sealing strip below theclosure, a line of perforations 32 forming a tear line is formed in thestrip extending lengthwise therethrough. The perforated line ispositioned such that the tear line will lie opposite the clearance spaceor gap between the bottom of the closure 1 and the shoulder on thebottle neck formed by the reduced threaded neck portion 19 thereof.

To aid in providing a tamper-resistant seal in the manner to beexplained, the sealing strip is a laminated body having a paper backingor lamina 2 6 with an exceedingly .thin, relative to the thickness ofthe base layer 26, colored layer 28 having a given background color withor without lettering or ornamentation thereon, and which backgroundcolor contrasts substantially with the color of the base paper layer 26.The exceedingly thin colored layer 28 may be an exceedingly thin coloredpaper layer or may be a layer of colored ink. The colored layer 28 isfaced or overlaid with a clear plastic acetate layer 30 which is alsothin relative to the thickness of the base layer 26. 'Theacetate plasticlayer is a non-water soluble plastic ma- .terial which is intimatelyfused to the colored intermediate layer 28.

The closure is removed from the bottle neck by applying a twisting forceto the metal cap 3 through the sealing strip and the cardboard collar ina direction to unthread the cap from the threaded bottle neck. Thisforce" .sever the sealing strip along the line of perforations 32.

The fracturing of the laminate sealing strip provides a series ofserrated edges or nibs 29 formed by the material of the sealing stripbetween the perforations 32. The bond between the transparent plasticouter layer. 30 of the sealingstrip and the thin colored layer 28 ismade greater than the bond between the colored layer 28 and the paperbacking 26. Also, the bond between the paper backing 26 and the glass ofthe bottle and the collar 15 is greater than the bond between thecolored layer 28 and the backing layer 26, so that the serrated portions29 are comprised of only the colored layer 28 and the plastic outerlayer 30 which have pulled away from the paper backing 26. If the paperbacking 26 is a white color and the layer 28 is of a black color, thedeformed serrations 29 will expose the white color of the backing layer,as at 34 (Fig. 5), 26 which immediately indicates to an ob.- server thatthe seal has been broken.

If the closure with the attached upper portion of the sealing strip isthen re-threaded onto the bottle neck, it will not be possible toobscure the white background to camouflage the fact that the seal hadonce been broken.

Because the plastic facing layer 30 is made of a nonwater solublematerial, the use of a solvent which would penetrate and dissolve theouter layer would in all probabilities also act as a solvent for theprinting ink used in the layer 28 so that this kind of tampering with'the bottle will be readily apparent. The laminate seal of the inventionis therefore a definite deterrent to tampering with the bottle before ithas reached the ultimate consumer.

Refer now to Figs. 7 and 8 showing an alternative embodiment of theinvention. In this new embodiment, a revenue stamp is incorporated in amodified sealing strip 23. which is similar in size and construction tothe sealing. strip 23 just described and is similarly applied to thebottle neck and bottle closure. The strip 23' includes a paper backinglayer 26 and a colored intermediate layer 28 and may comprise a layer ofinkv or a separate thin paper layer which has a background color whichcontrasts substantially with the color of the backing layer 26. Thelayer 28 has a band 36 containing revenue stamp markings which when thestrip is applied to the bottle neck closure surround and overlapadjoining portions of the closure 1 and the bottle neck portion 21. Thesealing strip is perforated at 32 and the perforations pass through therevenue stamp marking portion 36 and is positioned to be opposite thegap between the bottle closure and the bottle neck.

The portions 37-37 outside of the revenue stamp portion 36 may beprovided with suitable ornamentation, printed matter, and the like. Thepaper body comprising the backing layer 26 and the layer 28 may befurnished by the Federal Government. The transparent, waterproof plasticlayer 30 is adhesively secured to the outside of the layer 28' by thedistiller.

The sealing strip 23' is preferably applied to a liquor bottle or thelike by suitable well known label-applying machinery which greatlyreduces the cost of applying revenue stamps to liquor bottles and thelike.

The sealing strip may be coded by the distiller by impressing orimprinting a symbol, such as the numbers and letters 38 shown in 'Fig.7, on the plastic facing layer 30 (Fig. 8) at the same time that thesealing strip is applied to the liquor bottle. The imprinted, codedsymbol cannot be easily removed or smudged as in the case of an exposedprinted symbol. In addition to the advantage of providing asuitableimprint surface, the plastic outer layer also increases the difiicultyof removing the'strip 23' from the bottle without damaging therevenue-containing strip, as explained above in connection with theembodiment of Figs. 1 through 6.

Where a state revenue stamp sticker is to be applied to the bottle,either independently of a Federal revenue stamp as in the case of bottlewines, or in addition thereto, it is preferably secured to the strip 23or 23' in a location crossing the perforation 32. This may be done bysecuring the state stamp sticker directly to the layer 28 or 28' beforethe plastic facing layer 30 is applied thereto or by applying it to theoutside of the facing layer 30 after the strip has been fabricated.Removal of the bottle cap would therefore tear the state revenue stamp.

The application of the revenue strip around the bottle neck asdistinguished from applying it in a conventional manner across the topof the bottle also renders it more difficult to remove the revenue stampfrom the bottle in an undamaged condition, since it permits theoverlapping of the ends of the revenue stamp containing strip 23.Additionally, the laminate character of the strip 23 and the colordiiterence between the background of the outermost layer 28 and thesubjacent layer 26 prevent the re-application of a closure and strip toa bottle without the severance line between the previously torn parts ofthe strip being visible.

It should be understood that numerous modifications may be made of thepreferred embodiments of the invention above described without deviatingfrom the broader aspects of the invention.

I claim:

1. In combination with a bottle having a threaded neck portion defininga filling opening into the bottle, a closure covering said opening andthreaded around said neck portion and a multi-layered sealing stripsecured around the outside of said closure and the neck portiontherebelow and adhered to both, said sealing strip having a non-watersoluble transparent outer facing layer overlying an outermost coloredlayer which is of a color which contrasts substantially with the colorof the subjacent layer of the sealing strip and which is less securelybonded to said subjacent layer than said subjacent layer is bonded tothe bottle neck and closure and said transparent outer layer is bondedto said outer colored layer, and said strip being weakened to form atear line at the bottom of the closure, whereby the unthreading of thebottle cap will tear the sealing strip generally along the tear line andcause the outermost colored layer of the sealing strip to pull away fromthe subjacent layer of the strip to expose the contrasting color of thesubjacent layer to indicate that the seal of the bottle has been broken.

2. In combination with a bottle having a threaded neck portion defininga filling opening into the bottle, a closure covering said opening andthreaded around said neck portion and a multi-layered sealing stripsecured around the outside of said closure and the neck portiontherebelow and adhered to both, said sealing strip having an outermostcolored layer which is of a color which contrasts substantially with thecolor of the subjacent layer of the sealing strip and which is lesssecurely bonded to said subjacent layer than said subjacent layer isbonded to the bottle neck and closure and said strip being weakened toform a tear line at the bottom of the closure, whereby the unthreadingof the bottle cap Will tear the sealing strip generally along the tearline and cause the outermost colored layer of the sealing strip to pullaway from the subjacent layer of the strip to expose the contrastingcolor of the subjacent layer to indicate that the seal of the bottle hasbeen broken.

3. in combination with a bottle having a threaded neck portion defininga filling opening into the bottle, a closure covering said opening andthreaded around said neck portion and a multi-layered sealing stripsecured around the outside of said closure and the neck portiontherebelow and adhered to both, said sealing strip having an outermostcolored layer which is of a color which contrasts substantially with thecolor of the subjacent layer of the sealing strip and which is lesssecurely bonded to said subjacent layer than said subjacent layer isbonded to the bottle neck and closure and said strip being weakened toform a tear line at the bottom of the closure, whereby the unthreadingof the bottle cap will tear the sealing strip generally along the tearline and cause the outermost colored layer of the sealing strip to pullaway from the subjacent layer of the strip to expose the contrastingcolor of the subjacent layer to indicate that the seal of the bottle hasbeen broken, one of the layers of the strip being substantiallynon-resilient so that the strip has an overall non-spring-back quality.

4. In combination with a bottle having a neck with a reduced threadedtop portion defining a filling opening and a wider smooth neck portionimmediately below said threaded portion, a closure for covering saidfilling opening comprising a cap having a top closure wall overlying thefilling opening and a depending skirt with threading impressed thereinwhich is in threaded engagement with said threaded portion of saidbottle neck, the outer diameter of said cap skirt being less than theouter diameter of said smooth neck portion of said bottle, said capskirt having a peripheral flange beneath the threaded portion thereofwhich flange is flush with said smooth bottle neck portion, a sleeve ofcardboard-like material press fitted over said cap and covering thethreading portion thereof, the outer surface of said sleeve being flushand adjacent to said cap flange, and a sealing strip secured to theoutside of both said sleeve and said smooth neck portion and beingperforated at the lower extremity of the closure, said sealing striphaving an outer transparent layer of a non-water soluble materialoverlying an intermediate layer which in turn overlies and is of acontrasting color with the color of a base layer of the sealing stripand which is bonded less securely to said base layer than said baselayer is bonded to the bottle neck and closure, the said intermediatecolored layer pulling away from said base layer adjacent to theperforated portion thereof upon the unthreading of the closure from thebottle neck.

5. In combination with a container having a filling opening through oneend thereof and a closure removably covering said opening; a revenuestamp defining a sealing strip wound circumferentially around andadhered to both said container and said closure, said revenue stampcomprising a laminate body having a base portion, an intermediateportion having a background color which contrasts substantially withsaid base portion and which includes revenue stamp markings thereon, andsaid laminate body being weakened along a linear tear line passingthrough said revenue stamp markings, and upon application of a twistingforce to the closure, said laminate body will rupture along said tearline to expose to view the color of said base portion in contrast withthe color of said intermediate portion.

6. In combination with a bottle having a neck defining a filling openinginto the bottle, and a closure covering said opening and encircling saidbottle neck, a revenue stamp wound around and adhered to both saidclosure and neck, said revenue stamp comprised of a base layer adjacentto the bottle and closure and an outermost colored layer includingrevenue stamp markings, the color of the background of said outermostcolored layer being of a substantially contrasting color to the color ofthe subjacent layer, the revenue stamp markings being opposite portionsof both the bottle closure and bottle and the bond between saidoutermost colored layer and said base layer of said revenue stamp beingweaker than the bond between said base layer and both said bottle neckand closure, so that removal of the closure will pull the outermostcolored layer away from said baselayer at the lower extremity of theclosure and will mutilate said revenue stamp markings along an irregulartear line which will expose a sharp line formed by the contrasting colorof said outermost colored layer of the sealing strip and said subjacentlayer thereof.

7. In combination, a single walled bottle cap including a substantiallycylindrical skirt portion having a knurled portion adjacent to one endthereof and threading extending from adjacent to said knurled portion tothe other end of said skirt adapted for threading around the neck of abottle; and a laminate cylindrical sleeve of cardboard-like material ofslightly less internal diameter than the external diameter of said skirtportion press fitted around said skirt portion in surrounding relationthereto and covering said threading, the innermost lamina of said sleevebeing of a softer material than the outer lamina and which is deformedand compressed outwardly by the cap skirt portion so that said innermostlamina conforms to the external configuration of said skirt portion andextends into the interstices of said knurled portion to provide agripping action between the cap and the sleeve when a twisting torque isapplied to said sleeve, and the outer cylindrical lamina beingsubstantially undeformed by the pressure of the cap.

8. In combination, a single walled bottle cap including a substantiallycylindrical skirt portion having threading formed in the surface thereoffor screwing onto a bottle, said threading having a helical groove and aridge between the turns of the groove projecting outwardly of said skirtportion, and a beaded peripheral flange about said other end of theskirt portion; and a laminate cylindrical sleeve of cardboard-likematerial of slightly smaller inside diameter than the outside diameterof said skirt portion press fitted around said skirt portion insurrounding relation and covering said thread, with one end of thesleeve against said beaded flange, the innermost lamina of said sleevebeing deformed by said skirt portion so that said innermost laminaconforms at least partially to the external shape of said skirt portionand engages about said thread ridge to provide a positive friction lockbetween the cap and the sleeve when a twisting torque is applied to saidsleeve, and the cylindrical lamina being substantially a hoopmaintaining the innermost layer under pressure on the cap.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS194,212 Biere Aug. 14, 1877 1,922,767 Humphner Aug. 15, 1933 2,235,791Wohlers Mar. 18, 1941 2,330,896 Keith Oct. 5, 1943 2,361,499 RitchieOct. 31, 1944 2,462,010 Spender Feb. 15, 1949 2,581,539 Keith Jan. 8,1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 870,676 France Dec. 22, 1941 817,999 Germany Oct.22, 1951

